To the Editor:

The Yale Daily News reported on Feb. 21 that Charlie Pillsbury ’72 will run as a representative of the Green Party for the Ward 19 seat on the Board of Aldermen (“Pillsbury ’72 makes bid for alderman”). The seat is currently held by Alfreda Edwards, a Democrat.

Pillsbury is quoted as saying “We need more debate, more democracy. That’s why I’m running. The Greens are going to bring democracy to New Haven — The current alderwoman is a very nice person but she’s not very active and energetic and basically will vote the way the Democrats want her to vote.”

I live in the 19th ward. Over the past two years, the residents of the ward have faced a number of important issues, most notably the selection of a new site for the Worthington Hooker school and a recent wave of break-ins to homes, burglaries and car thefts.

Unlike Alfreda Edwards, Pillsbury has been invisible in the neighborhood discussion of these and other important issues. Unlike Edwards and many ward residents, he did not participate in the prolonged debate over the site of the new Hooker school. Unlike Edwards and many ward residents, he has not participated in the monthly meetings of the East Rock community policing management team — even a recent one at which issues of crime and security in the neighborhood were discussed with Chief Melvin Wearing, Chief James Perrotti, and other members of the New Haven and Yale police.

Voters in November will have a clear choice — between re-electing someone who has been attentive to the concerns of the ward and actively engaged in the neighborhood discussions and debates and someone who appears to be running only to further his own political agenda.

David Cameron

February 21, 2003

The writer is a professor of political science and director of undergraduate studies for political science.